The figures, released Wednesday morning, are adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes.

October sales among building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers, businesses in the NAICS 444 group, were $24.318 billion, down from $24.798 in September, but up from $24.142 in October of 2011.

Retail trade sales were down 0.3% from September 2012, but 3.8% above last year.